Category Uncategorized

Lionel Messi has called teammate Neymar a "beautiful person" in his goodbye message after the Argentine played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain.

What did Messi say to Neymar?

Having already sealed the Ligue 1 title, the 35-year-old took the pitch for the final time as a PSG player on the weekend – in a 3-2 loss at home to Clermont Foot.

His now former side confirmed the news on their official Twitter page, writing: "Paris Saint-Germain would like to warmly thank the seven-time Ballon d'Or, winner of a Trophée des Champions and two French championship titles wearing the Red & Blue colours."

Oddly enough, despite being universally loved for all his footballing achievements, the PSG fans actually booed Messi at his final game – apparently still unhappy with his performances in the Champions League and his recent unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia (via Daily Mail).

However, it seems teammate Neymar still has the utmost respect for the World Cup winner as the Brazilian sent an emotional message on Instagram.

He wrote: "Brother… it didn't turn out as we thought but we tried everything. It was a pleasure to share two more years with you.

Good luck in your new stage and be happy. I love you."

To which Messi replied: "Thanks Ney! Beyond all that remains, that we enjoyed playing together and sharing the day-to-day. I wish you all the best. Besides being a crackhead, you're a beautiful person and that's all that matters at the end. I love you so much."

Where will Messi end up next?

Obviously, it catches the eye that Messi appears to call Neymar something which is interpreted as something derogatory in English but this is just a mistranslation as he writes "Aparte de ser crack". Crack is a phrase often used in Spanish as a compliment, so if you were saying someone is good at football, you might say: “Sos un crack en futbol”.

Of course, the Brazilian doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to his off-field behaviour. According to French paper Le Parisien (via The Sun), he has been throwing house parties this season that have "infuriated" his neighbours of late. And that same article claimed he threw a party that didn't finish until 5am after PSG sealed the Ligue 1 title last season.

But Messi isn't referencing any of this as he calls Neymar "a beautiful person" and points out that this actually matters more than anything he's done on the pitch.

All in all, it's quite a sweet interaction between the players, which is nice as they haven't quite achieved what they set out to in Paris – with the club still unable to win the Champions League.

The big question now is, though, where will Messi end up next? Barcelona, Inter Miami and teams in Saudi Arabia have all been touted.

After Vlatko Andonokski confirmed his roster on Wednesday, GOAL breaks down the best possible starting XI he could select in New Zealand

The roster has finally been assembled, 23 players with one mission: return home with yet another World Cup. Those are always the expectations for the United States women's national team, no matter the scenario, but this tournament may just be the toughest yet for a team that is still somewhat in transition.

It's been a grueling cycle for the U.S., one which saw Vlatko Andonovski explore plenty of new players throughout his player pool. The past few years have been about finding new solutions and new faces. Some of those processes worked out, while others certainly didn't.

Because of that, this USWNT squad is a mix of old guard and new blood, with the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and Alex Morgan being joined by young stars Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson. It is very much a stacked roster, to be fair, one loaded with players young and old that can contribute and shine at this level.

Still, it isn't the roster it could have been. Injuries to stars such as Becky Sauerbrunn, Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario leave the U.S. somewhat shorthanded and missing several players who could have been starters. Because of that, there are some weak spots in this team, notably center-back, where Andonovski has only selected two players that primarily play the position.

The coach will have some decisions to make throughout this tournament, no doubt, as he looks to balance a somewhat unbalanced squad but, at their best, this USWNT XI basically picks itself.

GOAL has you covered with a look at the USWNT's best XI that we should see deployed by Andonovski at the World Cup:

• Getty Images
  

  GK: Alyssa Naeher

  No real doubt about this one, as Naher has been the starting goalkeeper for quite some time. The 35-year-old veteran has 90 caps to her name and has been the No.1 since the 2019 World Cup cycle.

  This will be her third World Cup, her second as a starter, so the U.S. should feel plenty confident with Naher between the posts.

Advertisement

• LB: Crystal Dunn

  She may not particularly like playing the position, but Dunn is likely the USWNT's starter at left-back. Dunn could move into the midfield, especially with the injury issues there and the wealth of depth at full-back, but it seems Andonovski is content to keep her as a dynamic attacking left-back.

  Emily Fox could start here if Andonovski does, in fact, move Dunn further upfield, but it would be a surprise to see him do so this late in the cycle.

• CB: Alana Cook

  Absolutely no debate here, simply because there are only two center-backs in the squad. The 26-year-old Cook has blossomed into a star over the last two years, earning 15 of her 24 career caps in 2022.

  She scored her first goal back in April in a friendly win over Ireland, having established herself as a starter well before that big moment.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  CB: Naomi Girma

  The other half of the only center-back duo available to Andonovski, Girma is a young star ready to break out on the big stage. The 23-year-old central defender made her senior debut in April 2022 and immediately became a solid and reliable piece of the team's defense.

  The 2022 NWSL Defender and Rookie of the Year, Girma's adaptation to the international game has been totally smooth, even if this will obviously be her biggest test yet.

  In case of emergency, and Andonovski really won't want to do this, Julie Ertz or Emily Sonnett could fill in at center-back if one of the two starters is unable to play.

Newcastle United have a "very realistic possibility" of signing James Maddison this summer, according to an update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Maddison on the move?

Leicester City may have had a hugely disappointing season, with relegation from the Premier League looking likely at this point, but Maddison has again been a standout player for his side. The £110,000-a-week midfielder has scored 10 goals and registered nine assists in the competition, catching the eye with his creativity and all-round end product.

If the Foxes go down this season, it is almost a given that the 26-year-old will leave the club, although he is likely to move on even if they retain their top-flight status. He could feel that he has come as far as he can at the King Power Stadium, especially as he comes into the peak years of his career.

Newcastle have been linked with a move for Maddison in recent months, with the Magpies potentially seeing him as someone who could excel in a No.10 role. They arguably look like the front-runners to snap him up and a fresh update further suggests that that is the case.

Is Maddison likely to join Newcastle?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that the Englishman is impressed with what is going on at St James' Park and that a move could easily come to fruition:

"I think that James Maddison has been at St. James's Park and has been quite wowed by the atmosphere, the culture and Newcastle are flying, so they do stand a very realistic possibility.

"I've always said many times, because Newcastle’s interest in Maddison dates back to last summer, it will only be this summer when Maddison goes. If Leicester go down, it will obviously be definite and there'll be a tremendous deal to be had. But I think even if they stay up, I expect Maddison to leave Leicester regardless."

This is an encouraging update from a Newcastle perspective, so much so that at this point, it would be a surprise if Maddison didn't join the Magpies this summer.

Should it happen, it could be an inspired piece of transfer business, with the two-cap England international scoring 55 goals and registering 41 assists for Leicester, as well as being "destined for the biggest stage", according to Graeme Souness, who isn't one to overly praise players. He could add extra guile to Newcastle's midfield, either as a No.8 or a No.10, and they could get five or six years of brilliance from him.

Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic's time at Selhurst Park is "probably up", according to journalist Matt Woosnam.

What's the latest on Milivojevic's future?

The Eagles have ten players out of contract at the end of the season, with the 32-year-old being one of them, and his future is uncertain having fallen significantly down the pecking order under former manager Patrick Vieira and current boss Roy Hodgson.

The SE25 captain has made just five top-flight starts this term, and considering that he's not getting any younger, whoever is in charge next season is likely to want to build a team for the future rather than holding on to veterans.

The Serbian arrived in the Premier League back in January 2017 and has been a "brilliant servant" during his 196 appearances to date, as lauded by the i News reporter Daniel Storey, not to mention the leadership qualities he's provided as skipper – but there appears to be a growing feeling that he won't be extending his stay beyond the upcoming window.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday following the Eagles' defeat at Wolves, Woosnam delivered his verdict on Milivojevic's future at Crystal Palace and admitted that he thinks he'll be on his way out of the exit door upon the conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign.

He wrote: "Last night may have been Luka Milivojevic's last start for Palace. Out of contract in the summer on a hefty salary, increasingly on [the] fringes of the team. Was an important player for several years & shouldn't be forgotten. But his time is probably up."

Should Crystal Palace sell Milivojevic?

Crystal Palace will know what a wonderful character Milivojevic is to have both on and off the pitch, and he's certainly played his part over the years, having posted 35 goal contributions (29 goals and six assists), but we think now would be the right time to allow him to depart.

The Kragujevac native has been an unused substitute on 15 occasions in the top flight this season, as per Transfermarkt, so it's clear that he isn't viewed as part of the club's long-term plans moving forward.

Milivojevic also currently pockets £75k per week, making him the joint-fifth-highest earner on the books, so moving onto pastures new would majorly help free up the wage bill and put funds towards new signings in the summer – and if he'd like to go elsewhere to receive more game time, this is an agreement that would perhaps be best for both parties.

West Ham United picked up a massive three points on Sunday afternoon as they defeated relegation rivals Southampton 1-0 at the London Stadium.

The performance was far from comprehensive against the Premier League's bottom side but David Moyes' side did enough to secure the win, with a result which moves them out of the relegation places and puts them a step closer to safety.

Who was West Ham's best player v Southampton?

Nayed Aguerd handed the Hammers the lead slightly against the run of play, as he was left unchallenged to head home Thilo Kehrer's free-kick, with Jarrod Bowen close to making it 2-0 when his right-footed curler hit the crossbar.

Moyes' side lived dangerously at times, with Lukasz Fabianski producing a strong hand to deny Romain Perraud, while he had his crossbar to thank for keeping out Paul Onuachu's header.

While Aguerd grabbed an impressive goal and clean sheet for the Hammers, it was arguably Lucas Paqueta who was Moyes' star performer on Sunday with attention deserving of diverting away from the backline.

The Brazilian has come in for his fair share of criticism since signing from Lyon last summer and was expected to be a creative force in the Hammers' midfield.

However, the club-record signing put everything on the line for the Hammers in a gritty win on Sunday, producing the most tackles by a West Ham player (10) in a Premier League game since 2012, which saw Opta Joe label him "relentless" on Twitter.

As per SofaScore, the 25-year-old would earn an impressive 7.1/10 rating for his performance, registering 78 touches and completing an impressive 40 passes, which was a slight improvement on the 38.3 he has averaged in the Premier League so far this campaign.

He also completed 100% of his dribbles and won a remarkable 15 duels, more than Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek combined, emphasising just how strong the Brazil international was in Moyes' midfield.

It was almost completely out of character for Paqueta to register ten tackles in just one game, as he has averaged just 2.2 per game in the top flight so far this season, but Moyes and West Ham fans will not be complaining if he continues to dominate the midfield in this way during his Hammers career.

If the former AC Milan man can add more goals and assists to his game, to go with his new-found defensive abilities, then West Ham could soon have a top midfielder on their hands and will surely continue to rise up the Premier League table.

Manchester United suffered their biggest loss since Boxing Day 1931 on Sunday and the largest-ever margin of defeat in a game between the Red Devils and Liverpool as they were on the end of a 7-0 battering at Anfield.

The form book was torn apart as Erik ten Hag’s previously resurgent side had won the Carabao Cup just a week earlier.

United were certainly the favourites for the clash last weekend but turned out what felt like the worst display of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

There have been plenty of lows since the Scot departed Old Trafford but this was perhaps the nadir of life after the great trophy winner.

There were several poor performers on the night but Bruno Fernandes was undoubtedly the worst of the lot, with Gary Neville calling his behaviour a “disgrace”.

The Sky Sports pundit wasn’t the only one who got stuck into the Portuguese with several fans lamenting his horrendous attitude. Indeed, footage during the game appeared to show the United skipper completely giving up at one stage down the right-hand side of the pitch.

Seeing the clip on Twitter, several members of the footballing community had their say. Check out the video and the best of the reaction below…

Fulham and manager Marco Silva appear to be pursuing a late move for Arsenal defender Rob Holding as news emerges before deadline day.

Who will Fulham sign?

The west Londoners have undergone a fairly solid start to this new Premier League campaign, having sealed a win, draw and loss over their trio of opening league games.

Their most impressive results have come most recently, though, with Fulham sealing a dramatic late draw away to title contenders Arsenal courtesy of a last gasp equaliser from midfielder Joao Palhinha.

Fulham have also just knocked high-flying Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup second round, as Tete's decisive spot-kick sealed a penalty shoot out win and their place in the draw's third-round on Tuesday night.

There is clearly momentum to build upon with these results as Silva's side attempt to improve on last year's mid-table finish, and they have been tipped to be one of the busier clubs over these last few days of the transfer window

Indeed, having already sealed deals for Calvin Bassey, Raul Jimenez, Adama Traore and Timothy Castagne, Fulham are believed to also be chasing late deals for Sevilla striker Lucas Ocampos and Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi.

Speaking late last month, Silva highlighted the need for further additions, with former star striker Alexandar Mitrovic since joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

"Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” Silva said.

“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers."

According to a report this week, Fulham also want to bolster their central defensive ranks once more after the signing of Bassey, coming as Tosin Adarabioyo remains linked with a late exit.

Holding, who will be allowed to leave Arsenal amid "significant" interest across Europe, is one player being targeted by Fulham for this role.

This information comes courtesy of 90min, who claim that Fulham have already approached Arsenal over signing Holding in the form of an enquiry.

As well as Fulham, clubs from La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.are also eyeing a late move before September 1, with Holding now entering the final year of his Arsenal deal which expires in 2024.

The Englishman's contract, though, contains an optional clause to extend it by a further 12 months.

How good is Rob Holding?

Holding has struggled to fight his way into Arteta's plans this season, with Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Ben White all ahead of him.

However, the 27-year-old has been praised for his influence and value behind-the-scenes. Journalist Charles Watts, speaking after Holding stepped in for the injured Saliba last term, called him a "very valuable" member of the dressing room.

"Clearly, people who were there [at the Emirates] said he played well," said Watts last season.

"And he's no Saliba, there's no doubt about it, but as a squad player, I think he's a very valuable, and really, really influential figure behind the scenes. Everyone loves him at Arsenal.”

Perhaps a second chance to assert himself on the pitch at Fulham is needed.

Chelsea are planning a sensational midfield overhaul that could escalate their spending to unparalleled heights.

The Blues look set to resist Liverpool’s outlandish attempt to hijack their Moises Caicedo deal as they prepare to break the record Premier League transfer fee for the South American.

Furthermore, these clubs are also battling it out for Romeo Lavia’s signature.

What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Chelsea?

According to Sky Sports News, Chelsea are ‘close’ to an agreement with Southampton over signing Lavia, but Liverpool retains a strong interest in the youngster.

The 2021 Champions League winners remain in direct contact with the Saints, who are holding firm with their £50m valuation.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

Chelsea submitted a £48m bid earlier this week, while Liverpool have had three separate offers – the latest of which was £45m – all rejected.

This outlet also revealed that the West Londoners are looking to welcome two midfielders in this window, and they feel that landing Lavia and Caicedo is a real possibility.

Why would Romeo Lavia be a good signing for Chelsea?

Although the Belgian has only played on 29 occasions in the Premier League, he has swiftly established himself as one of Europe’s most attractive and sought-after assets.

Last season, Lavia, who was described as “tremendous” by Rio Ferdinand, averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, and 84% pass accuracy in the opposition half in domestic football as per Sofascore – scoring higher than Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher for the aforementioned metrics.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a quick rise to prominence with Jean Kindermans, Anderlecht’s head of Academy, eulogizing over Lavia’s composure and bright future, saying: “His best position is as a low playmaker because he can deliver passes.

“He’s always calm on the ball. You can give him it under pressure and he will solve the problem. He is going to have a brilliant career.”

Paul Scholes has followed up this praise, feeling that Lavia is someone with “so much potential.”

A player of this calibre and defensive acumen could be a pivotal figure in aiding Reece James to recapture his best form at Stamford Bridge.

The last two seasons have been difficult for the right-back – he has missed 45 games through various injuries that have massively disrupted his rhythm and consistency.

Last campaign, Chelsea failed to win in any of his final eight outings in the Premier League, and he mustered just four goal contributions in all competitions.

Nevertheless, he is one of the world’s most effective full-backs, and as the club’s new captain, he will be an imperative figure in any Chelsea revival.

James will be looking to emulate and surpass Trent Alexander Arnold’s influence. The £180k-per-week man also endured a tricky campaign, as Liverpool unexpectedly dropped out of the top four, but he still managed to hit double-digits for assists.

Both players have built formidable reputations for their awe-inspiring technical ability. Interestingly, over the past 365 days, James comfortably outranks Alexander-Arnold for progressive carries per 90 (3.51 vs 1.41), and successful take-ons per 90 (1.8 vs 0.91). Then, the latter narrowly outperforms the former Wigan Athletic loanee for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.46 vs 3.88), and progressive passes per 90 (6.29 vs 7.31).

In summary, these figures mean that James sits within the best 10% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for the aforementioned metrics. To still possess these numbers whilst going through the toughest period in your career is a testament to his quality, which could reach even more frightening heights with Lavia’s addition.

An act of annoyance after being run out for a diamond duck in the BBL final – his second offence in the last 12 months – has earned the wicketkeeper-batsman an A$6000 fine

Daniel Brettig08-Feb-2018Matthew Wade’s moment of frustration after being run out for a diamond duck – without facing a ball – during the Hobart Hurricanes’ loss to the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League final has been sanctioned by Cricket Australia with an A$6000 fine.After he was run out by a direct hit from Strikers wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the closing overs of the Hurricanes’ failed chase, Wade was caught on camera hitting his viewing-area seat with his bat before walking towards the dressing room.Charged with abusing ground equipment under the CA code of conduct, Wade contested the offence and faced the match referee Peter Marshall in a hearing, where the offence and the proposed penalty were both upheld. Marshall proposed the harsher penalty as it was Wade’s second offence within 12 months – he was reprimanded for sending off the Sydney Thunder’s Jos Buttler earlier in the BBL.”The offence occurred during the Hurricanes’ batting innings, when Wade was dismissed,” a CA spokesman said. “As per the CA Code of Conduct procedure, Match Referee Peter Marshall reviewed the umpires’ report and – as a higher range of sanctions was applicable given it was Wade’s second Level 1 offence in the last 18 months – a sanction of $6,000 was proposed, should the player accept the umpire’s version of events.”Wade denied the offence and opted to contest the charge at a hearing before the Match Referee, however he was found guilty and the proposed sanction was upheld.”Having played a critical innings in the BBL semi-final win over the Perth Scorchers at the top of the order, Wade was demoted to make room for his regular opening partner D’Arcy Short. Tim Paine, who had claimed Wade’s place in the Australian Test team this summer, opened with Short instead.”Just a little bit about left-right [combination], there’s a short boundary here,” Hurricanes captain George Bailey had said. “So if D’Arcy had been the first out, Wadey would have gone in and had that impact he has had in the last couple games in the first six. But D’Arcy batted well, which meant we could try and use Wade at the back end to try and target the short boundary. But the damage was done by that stage.”CA have come down heavily on players during the BBL this season, fining a succession of captains and teams for over rate offences in particular.

Trevor Bayliss has said he would have “no problems at all” selecting Mason Crane as England’s spinner during the Ashes series

George Dobell in Adelaide07-Nov-2017England might have sent for a replacement fast bowler, but they will not be calling up another spinner.Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, was so impressed by Mason Crane in last week’s two-day warm-up game in Perth that he would have “no problems at all” selecting him during the Ashes series. And while Bayliss admitted that Crane, the 20-year-old legspinner, was “inexperienced”, England are so impressed with his character and potential that they now view him as the natural understudy to Moeen Ali.”I wouldn’t have any problems at all playing Crane in the Test match,” Bayliss said as England trained under lights in Adelaide. “He’s young, but he’s feisty and likes to get into the contest.

Bayliss on Steven Smith

“He was always a talent. At Sydney Sixers we made him captain and won the Big Bash. He was always captaincy material – the natural leader in the group – and we won it that first year under him. He was always a batter that bowled a bit. He didn’t necessarily have the most pure technique, but he knows how to score runs. He is living proof that you don’t have to have a perfect technique to do that. Both he and Joe Root have their little quirks, but both are magnificent players. It’ll be an interesting battle this year.”

“He’s inexperienced and still has a fair bit to learn. One of those reasons he’s on this tour is that we think he’ll be a very good bowler in years to come. He’s got to start somewhere and if it’s here during the Ashes then so be it.”Central to Crane’s emergence is his character. While the England management have decided that Adil Rashid could be a little diffident – and a little expensive – they feel that Crane, as Bayliss put it, likes to “get in the battle”.While there might be some eyebrows raised at the idea of Crane as an especially economical bowler – he conceded five fours in seven deliveries at one stage during the tour game at Perth – the quicker pace at which he bowls and the potential for improvement he still offers have clearly moved him ahead of Rashid.”We have spoken to Rashid,” Bayliss said. “The captain was looking for someone in Test cricket that could get in the battle.”Rashid is an attacking-style bowler, like Moeen. So the captain wanted someone who could maybe keep it tight at one end as well. In Test cricket, you have to try to keep a lid on it at time and not give one or two bad balls an over. Rashid has struggled with that a bit.”He’s not been forgotten about. He’s certainly in the one-day team and we spoke to him when we conducted the player reviews a couple of weeks ago. He is in contention if he is bowling well and deserves a spot.”Rashid might also have stiffened the England tail. In the absence of Ben Stokes, England could well go into the Test series with Stuart Broad, Jake Ball – who Bayliss praised as “the one who kept it tight” in Perth – and James Anderson batting at Nos. 9-11. But while that isn’t ideal, Bayliss feels it might be the shape of the side in the future and foresees a scenario where Stokes returns at No. 5 to allow room for another bowler.”That’s one of the things we have had to compromise on with Stokes not being here,” Bayliss said. “It puts more emphasis on the batters doing their job.”But it’s a combination I’ve liked for a while. Obviously I’d have liked Stokes in there, but with Moeen Ali at No. 7 and Chris Woakes at No. 8, it gives the option of another pace bowler or a second spinner.”Meanwhile Bayliss dismissed any suggestion that England might be unhappy with the opposition or conditions they are likely to face ahead of the first Test in Brisbane. While Nathan Coulter-Nile played against them in Perth, it seems England are unlikely to face much pace bowling or many quick pitches – by Australian standards, at least – ahead of the Test series.”We get our county second teams to play them when they come over,” Bayliss said. “So we can’t complain.”